Extreme Makeover: Windows Mobile Edition
I own a Windows phone running Windows Mobile 5.0 w/ Adaption Kit Upgrade version 2.2. When i first began to use this device, i found it to be natural in some ways. The OS will feel familiar to users who are familiar with its desktop cousin. Windows Mobile is a robust OS in which you can customize it anyway you would like to fit your needs.
Windows Mobile (WM will be used for the rest of this article) in general is not finger friendly at all (although when version6.5 comes out that will change). My first step is to select a user interface program that will be a layer running on top of WM. If you have an older device such as my device, or if you have a WM touch screen phone without an already customized interface, PointUI team created a very flexible user interface program for free (Look out for my review of this software coming soon); they also offer a “Pro” edition which has deeper functions for $19.95 USD. There are other user interface programs such as Throttle Launcher that are offered for free of use. One note to mention is that many device manufacturers will have a native UI installed to define your phone as an imprint of that company. If you notice HTC, a top WM phone manufacturer, they use a UI called TouchFlo. Other manufacturers may do the same to make your phone fun to use.
The second step is finding programs that meet your needs. Here is one example: my device (which is E-TEN G500) has a picture viewer packed in with WM. It did the job, just not very well. I found Slide2View (S2V). This is a very light weight program that is finger friendly to use. With just one swipe of your finger, this iPhone inspired app will go to the next picture in your film roll. The only thing you need to do is configure it so it know which directory you use to store your photos on your device, and not your removable storage card. Of course you can always change it at will. The website i recommend you check it is FreewarePocketPC.net.
That website has a huge library of freeware for your system. Just beware that certain programs that may work on one device may or may not work on another device. Each app you click on has a user comments section and i think it is worth skimming through. The catalog of programs are always being updated with newer versions of existing apps as well as new original apps. You can find apps to use like a new finger friendly keyboard, or tools to utilize the device’s hardware to its full advantage. I can mention a billion other apps but you can check that out yourself.
There you have it. By installing new apps, and giving your phone a fresh coat of paint you can breath new life into a phone that maybe needing a makeover. Developers are always looking for newer, innovative, and easier ways of accessing your devices’ features as well as information from the web.
As a WM guru, i will be reviewing software that I feel should be installed on every device. These are third party apps that both development companies and enthusiasts created. I will also mention that I never once came across a virus or anything as such while testing out apps i found for free online. I understand people’s concerns about that, but the WM community is huge and many WM enthusiasts do create legitimate apps.
Stay tuned for more!
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